Foundation Commits $20M to Creation of Urology Institute at University of Miami's Miller School

The Department of Urology at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine has received a commitment of $20 million from the Desai Sethi Family Foundation to establish a urology institute within the Miller School. Named after the foundation, the Desai Sethi Urology Institute hopes to accelerate "breakthrough advances in research, expand clinical care, and train future generations of urologists."

Dr. Dipen J. ParekhFounding director of the institute will be Dr. Dipen J. Parekh, who the university describes as "one of the world’s most experienced robotic surgeons in urologic oncology." He is the chief operating officer at the University of Miami Health System; professor and chair of the Department of Urology at the Miller School; and the Victor A. Politano, M.D. Endowed Chair in Urology.

“Dr. Dipen Parekh is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking urologic oncologists in our nation. His work has had a tremendous impact on how cancers of the kidney, prostate, and bladder are treated around the world. I can’t think of a better steward of this remarkably generous gift to further the science of urology. I am confident that in the years to come, lives will be saved through the scientific investigations supported by the Institute,” said Dr. Ian Thompson Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Located in South Florida, the institute will be "an international destination for care" that will study health disparities in the treatment of both men and women with urological issues. According to the university, the gift is particularly impactful given that there are only a few freestanding urology institutes in the U.S.